Refrigerator car construction



May20, 1941'. y K. E; ZEIDLER REFRIGERATOR CAR CONSTRUCTION v Filed 'April v24, 1.939

...huub nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 'l Patented May Z, 1941 UNTD STATES NT FFIQE.

REFRIGERATOR CAR CONSTRUCTION Application April 24, 1939, Serial No. 269,649

(Cl. 'G2-17) 6 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in refrigerator cars for transporting perishables, such as fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, etc., but more especially to the so-called top bunker type.

One of the objects of my improved construction is to provide stiifening means in the metallic top of a refrigerant container.

Another object is to provide ducts for the circulation of air over the top of a refrigerant container.

Another object is to utilize the refrigerant container to support the insulating materials of the car roof.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a half cross section of a railway refrigerator car showing a refrigerating unit `incorporating a refrigerant container having my improved construction. The opposite half of the car which is not shown is understood to be of identical construction.

2 is a longitudinal vertical cross section through the refrigerating unit, taken as indicated by the line 2 2 in Fig. 1.

My invention is adaptable to a refrigerator car having spaced apart insulated car walls 2, an insulated roof E, an insulated floor 4, a foraminous floor or floor rack above the insulated floor and an air space t between said floors.

A refrigerant container 8 is positioned under the roof 3 of the car and adjacent the Aside wall 2 of the car. The container 8 is provided with a top 8 having corrugations I8 formed therein and extending substantially from edge to edge of the top S. The container top S fits snugly against the underside of the roof 3 and to Aprevent the roof insulating material II from lling the :space I2 between the corrugations iii, means I3 is provided. This means I3 may consist of chicken wire, wire mesh, expanded metal, plywood, masonite or any other suitable means that will prevent the roof insulation II from settling into the spaces i2. Since the corrugations I0 eX- tend from side to side of' the top 9, the spaces I2 form fiues for the movement of air over portions of the top 9.

The refrigerant container 8 is preferably spaced away from the adjacent wall 2 to provide an air flue I4 therebetween. A hatch opening I5 is provided preferably in the roof of the car above the refrigerant container 8 for filling it with a refrigerant, removing the refrigerant or cleaning the container. The hatch opening may be provided with the usual plug, lid, locking and supporting mechanisms. Refrigerant containers are preferably arranged in a row adjacent the eave yof the car and are spaced apart I6 to provide air flues between the ends of the respective containers. In this arrangement the bottom, ends, sides and portions of the top form cooling areas for the circulating air.

An insulated partition I is preferably provided on the inside of each side Wal-l 2 and spaced apart therefrom to provide a vertical wall flue 2G which communicates with the air space 8 below the foraminous floor 5 and also communicates with the air flue I having contact with the refrigerant container.

Under certain conditions frost will form on the bottom Il of the container. To prevent melted frost from dripping on the lading an insulated partition I8 is provided below the container 8. This insulated partition IB is spaced apart from the container I8 so as to provide an air flue 2l therebetween which communicates with the vertical air flue 20 near or in the side wall of the car. The partition I8 is preferably inclined outwardly and downwardly (see Fig. 1) so that air v cooled and densied by the refrigerant willk `move .by vgravity into the vertical ue 20.

'The insulated partitions I8 on the opposite side .of the car are spaced apart to provide an air passageway 22 adjacent the longitudinal center .of the car through which the warm .air rises and moves into the refrigerant chambers on opposite sides of the car. The margins of the inclined partitions I8 .adjacent the passageway 22 may be provided with insulated members 23 extending upwardly therefrom so as to further raise the bottom of the air entrance parts into the refrigerant chamber above the lower portion of the inclined partition I8 thereby cooperating with the inclined partition to direct the movement of circulation of air. The members 23 are spaced `away from the container 8 to provide a flue 2d.

The circulation of the air in the car I have described will be substantially as follows: Air warmed by the lading will rise and striking the underside of the inclined partition I8 will be directed into the passageway 22 and enter the refrigerating chamber. Here contacting the refrigerant container the air will be cooled and densied and a portion of the air will flow through the iiues over the top of the refrigerant container and into the flue I4, the remainder of the air entering the chamberY upon being cooled and densiiled will flow through ue 24 and into flue 2| under the container. By gravity the densied air in iiues I4 and 2| will descend the Iclaim: 1. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart in the lower of said planes, said last mentioned means comprising foraminous material interposed between said container top and said roof insulation.

3. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart insulated car walls, a roof insulated by pliable insulation, an insulated iioor, a foraminous iioor spaced above the insulated iioor cooperating to form 1an air space between said floors, a refrigerating .compartment under said rooi` and adjacent one of said walls, and means providing for the flow of air into said compartment, the

\ combination of a refrigerant container -posiinsulated car walls, a roof insulated by pliable y insulation, an insulated floor, a Vforaminous iioor spaced above the insulated iioor cooperating to form an air space between said floors, a refrigeratingrcornpartment under said roof and adjacent one of said walls, and means providing for the iiow of air into said compartment, a vertical flue associated with said wall, said flue extending substantially from near the floor to near the refrigerating compartment and communicating at the lowerportion thereof with said space and at the upper portion thereof with said refrigerating compartment, the combination of a refrigerant container positioned within said compartment, said container arranged and associated with said roof to provide a support for the pliable insulation thereof, the top of said container having cifset portions formed therein projecting away from the container and extending substantially from side to side of said top to stiifen said top, and means to prevent said pliable insulation from entering the spacesI between said offset portions, thereby forming a series of ducts above the` portions of said top between the offset portions so that air warmed by the lading rising upwardly enters the refrigerating compartment and passing through said ducts is cooled and densiied and therefore moves down the vertical flues by gravity into the space below the foraminous iioor from whence it rises to replace the warmed air.

2. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart insulated car walls, a roof insulated by pliable y insulation, an insulated floor, a foraminous oor s'pacedabove the insulatedv floor cooperating to form an'air space between said floors, a refrigerating compartment under said roof and adjacent one of said walls, and means providing for the iiow of air into said compartment, the combination of a refrigerant container positioned within said compartment, said container arranged and associated with said roof to provide a support for the pliable insulation thereof, the ftop of said container comprising portions arranged in spaced substantially horizontal planes which are connected by webs, and means to prevent said pliable insulation from entering the spaces above the lower of said planes, thereby forming a series of ducts for the circulation of air between said roof insulation and the portions l tioned within said compartment, said container arranged :and Iassociated with said roof to provide a support for the insulation thereof, the top of said container having offset portions formed therein projecting away from the container and extending substantially from side to side of said top, and means to prevent said vpliable roofA insulation from entering the spacesl between said offset portions, thereby forming a series of ducts for the circulation of air above the portions of said top between said offset portions, said last mentioned means comprising foraminous material interposed between said container top and said roof insulation.

4. In a refrigerator car having a roof comprising-pliable insulation, a refrigerant container below said roof, said container having a top formed with corrugations projecting alternately upwardly and downwardly, said insulation supported by the upwardly projecting corrugations to form ducts between said insulation and the downward- 1yV projecting corrugations, foraminous material arranged to support the pliable insulation substantially clear of said ducts, and means to direct a ow of air through said ducts.

5. In a refrigerator car having a roof comprising pliable insulation, a refrigerant container below said roof, atop on said container, means associated with said top to support said insulation in spaced relation to certain parts of said top to' form ducts between said insulation and said parts of the top, foraminous material arranged to support the pliable insulation substantially clear of said ducts, and means to direct a ilow vof air through said ducts.

ducts.

KURT E. ZEIDLER. 

